Beginner’s guide

Getting started with plants

The secret is simple: choose plants that like the conditions you already have. Here’s how to work those out.

1. ☀️

   1. Watch the light

   Note how many hours of direct sun the spot gets on a summer's day. Full sun is 6+ hours, part shade is 3–6, and shade is less than 3. North-facing walls and spots under trees are usually shady. This one fact narrows your choice more than anything else.

   Plants for shade →
2. 🪱

   2. Get to know your soil

   Squeeze a handful of damp soil. Sticky and holds its shape: clay (rich but heavy, slow to drain). Gritty and falls apart: sandy (drains fast, dries out). Pale with white lumps: chalk. Dark and crumbly: loam, which most plants love. Look at neighbours' gardens too: thriving rhododendrons and camellias mean acidic soil.

   Plants for clay →
3. ❄️

   3. Check it's hardy enough

   Hardiness tells you how much cold a plant can take. In most of the UK, plants rated RHS H4 or above survive winter outdoors without protection. H3 and below need a sheltered spot or bringing indoors over winter.

   Tough, hardy plants →
4. 📏

   4. Allow room to grow

   Plant labels show the eventual size, and that's what to plan for. Space plants at about their final spread apart. Gaps fill quickly with annuals or bulbs in the meantime. For small gardens and pots, look for compact varieties.

   Compact plants for pots →
5. 💧

   5. Plant it well

   Water the plant in its pot first. Dig a hole twice as wide as the rootball and the same depth, loosen the roots, plant at the same level it was in the pot, firm in gently and water well. Keep it watered through its first summer while the roots establish, even if the plant is drought tolerant later.

6. 🗓️

   6. A little care, at the right time

   Most plants need only a few jobs a year: feed in spring, water in dry spells, prune at the right season. Every plant page has Care Tips grouped by season, and the assistant can tell you what's due now.

   Save plants to My Plants →